Rahul’s unbeaten 57* and Abhishek Porel’s first fifty of the season help DC chase down 160 with ease; Delhi draw level with Gujarat Titans on points
Lucknow, April 22:
KL Rahul returned to haunt his former side with a record-breaking 57 off 36 balls*, guiding Delhi Capitals to a commanding 8-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. In the process, he became the fastest player to reach 5000 runs in IPL history, and notched up his 40th IPL half-century, cementing his place as one of the league’s most consistent performers.
Chasing a target of 160, DC cruised to victory in 17.3 overs, thanks to a 69-run second-wicket partnership between Rahul and Abhishek Porel, who scored a fluent 51 off 36 balls. The win takes Delhi level with Gujarat Titans at 12 points in the standings.
💥 DC’s Chase: Rahul & Porel Dominate
Delhi’s chase began on an aggressive note, with Karun Nair and Porel taking 15 runs off Shardul Thakur in the opening over. Though Nair (15 off 9) fell early to Ravi Bishnoi, KL Rahul joined Porel to steady the ship.
Porel was in fine touch, smashing an 83-metre six before raising his maiden fifty of the season. Rahul played the anchor role with elegance and control, bringing up his milestone with a towering six and finishing unbeaten on 57 off 36.
After Porel’s dismissal, Axar Patel (16*) joined Rahul to guide the Capitals home without further hiccups.
🔁 LSG’s Innings: Promising Start, Sluggish Finish
Earlier, Aiden Markram (52) and Mitchell Marsh (45) gave Lucknow a brisk start, posting 87 for the first wicket. But once Chameera dismissed Markram and Mukesh Kumar triggered a middle-order collapse, LSG struggled to accelerate.
Nicholas Pooran (9) and Abdul Samad (2) fell cheaply, and David Miller’s unbeaten 14 off 15 never gained momentum. Ayush Badoni provided late fireworks with 36 off 21, but his dismissal in the final over meant LSG finished on a below-par 159/7.
Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 for 28, including two wickets in the final over to cap off an impressive spell.
🔍 Key Stats:
- KL Rahul: Fastest to 5000 IPL runs
- Abhishek Porel: 1st fifty of IPL 2025
- Mukesh Kumar: 3/28 in 4 overs
- DC Points: 12 points from 9 matches
- LSG Position: Mid-table with inconsistent form
With playoff contention heating up, Delhi’s resurgence—led by Rahul’s class and a composed batting order—has reignited their campaign. LSG, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly as the middle-order woes continue to cost them crucial matches.